Locating and tracking missing or relocated devices

1. A mobile application for tracking relocated or missing output devices that provide printing or scanning services, the mobile application including one or more programs of instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by a processor of a host terminal to configure the host terminal to comprise: a network communication module to communicate through a network interface of the host terminal with a device management server via a network, to obtain a missing devices list indicating for each missing device, manufacturer, device model and device identifier of the missing device, and store the missing devices list in a persistent local storage of the host terminal; a short-range communication module to communicate by short-range point-to-point communication with an output device to obtain the device identifier of the output device, when the output device is within a short-range communication range threshold of the host terminal; a device tracking module that stores a timestamp and the device identifier of the output device in a tracked device record when the output device is within the short-range communication range threshold of the host terminal, in the persistent local storage of the host terminal, compares the device identifier of the output device with the device identifier of each missing device on the missing devices list, and when the device tracking module determines that the output device corresponds to a missing device on the missing devices list, marks the output device as one of the missing devices in the tracked device record, and records an approximated location of the output device, from a position of the host terminal, in the tracked device record, wherein the device tracking module transmits the tracked device record to the device management server, upon demand of, or by pushing to, the device management server.

2. The mobile application as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the device tracking module determines that the output device corresponds to a missing device on the missing devices list, the device tracking module records identifiers of other output devices within the short-range communication range threshold of the host terminal, in addition to the timestamp, in the tracked device record of the output device.

3. The mobile application as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the device tracking module determines that the output device corresponds to a missing device on the missing devices list, the device tracking module records (i) an identifier of a most-recently detected other output device or beacon device detected prior to detection of the missing output device, and (ii) a timestamp difference between the timestamp associated with detection of the missing output device and the timestamp associated with detection of the most-recently detected other output device or beacon device, in the tracked device record of the output device.

4. The mobile application as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device tracking module tracks, and records in the tracked device record of the output device, the next N (N being a predetermined integer greater than zero) output devices detected through the short-range communication module after the device tracking module determines that the output device corresponds to a missing device on the missing devices list.

5. The mobile application as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: an application user interface to output to a user of the host terminal, when the device tracking module determines that the detected output device corresponds to a missing device on the missing devices list, an alert that the detected output device nearby corresponds to a missing device on the missing devices list.

6. The mobile application as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the application user interface permits the user of the host terminal to acknowledge receipt of the alert, and when receipt of the alert is acknowledged, the application user interface displays information including an image of the missing device and the approximated location of the detected output device.

7. The mobile application as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the application user interface (UI) provides a UI part permitting the user of the host terminal to confirm that the detected output device nearby is the missing device shown in the image.

8. The mobile application as claimed in claim 7 , wherein when the user of the host terminal operates the UI part to confirm that the detected output device nearby is the missing device shown in the image, the device tracking module transmits an immediate notification to an administrator to alert the administrator of the approximated location of the output device corresponding to a missing device on the missing devices list.

9. The mobile application as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the application user interface displays a message requesting the user of the host terminal to notify an administrator, based on specified contact information, of the output device corresponding to a missing device on the missing devices list.

10. The mobile application as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each time the mobile application connects to the device management server, the mobile application pushes tracked device records, if any, stored in the persistent local storage of the host terminal, to the device management server, and checks the device management server for updates to the missing devices list.

11. A device management system for tracking relocated or missing output devices that provide printing or scanning services, the system comprising: a device management server that maintains a missing devices list indicating, for each missing device, manufacturer, device model and device identifier of the missing device; and one or more host terminals, each host terminal hosting a mobile application including one or more programs of instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by a processor of the host terminal to configure the host terminal to comprise: a network communication module to communicate through a network interface of the host terminal with the device management server via a network, to obtain the missing devices list from the device management server and store the missing devices list in a persistent local storage of the host terminal; a short-range communication module to communicate by short-range point-to-point communication with an output device to obtain the device identifier of the output device, when the output device is within a short-range communication range threshold of the host terminal; a device tracking module that stores a timestamp and the device identifier of the output device in a tracked device record when the output device is within the short-range communication range threshold of the host terminal, in the persistent local storage of the host terminal, compares the device identifier of the output device with the device identifier of each missing device on the missing devices list, and when the device tracking module determines that the output device corresponds to a missing device on the missing devices list, marks the output device as one of the missing devices in the tracked device record, and records an approximated location of the output device, from a position of the host terminal, in the tracked device record, wherein the device tracking module transmits the tracked device record associated with the output device corresponding to a missing device on the missing devices list to the device management server, upon demand of, or by pushing to, the device management server.

12. The device management system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each time the device management server receives a tracked device record corresponding to a missing device on the missing devices list, the device management server computes an updated location of said missing device based on the information in the received tracked device record and other tracked device record received for said missing device from other devices.

13. The device management system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein when the device management server receives the tracked device record of the output device corresponding to a missing device on the missing devices list, the device management server transmits an immediate notification to an administrator to alert the administrator of the approximated location of the output device corresponding to a missing device on the missing devices list.

14. The device management system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the device management server transmits, based on a regular notification schedule or in response to request from a client terminal, a summary of detected missing devices, including data consolidated from the mobile application of multiple host terminals.

15. The device management system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each time the mobile application connects to the device management server, the device management server pushes an updated missing devices list to the mobile application and obtains from the mobile application tracked device records, if any, stored in the persistent local storage of the host terminal hosting the mobile application.

16. A method performed by a device management system for tracking relocated or missing output devices that provide printing or scanning services, the method comprising: communicating by a host terminal, via a network communication module through a network interface of the host terminal, hosting a mobile application with a device management server that maintains a missing devices list indicating, for each missing device, manufacturer, device model and device identifier of the missing device, to obtain the missing devices list from the device management server and store the missing devices list in a persistent local storage of the host terminal; communicating by short-range point-to-point communication by the host terminal hosting the mobile application with an output device to obtain the device identifier of the output device, when the output device is within a short-range communication range threshold of the host terminal; storing, by a device tracking module of the host terminal, a timestamp and the device identifier of the output device in a tracked device record when the output device is within the short-range communication range threshold of the host terminal, in the persistent local storage of the host terminal; comparing, by the device tracking module of the host terminal, the device identifier of the output device with the device identifier of each missing device on the missing devices list, and when the mobile application determines that the output device corresponds to a missing device on the missing devices list, marking the output device as one of the missing devices in the tracked device record and recording an approximated location of the output device, from a position of the host terminal, in the tracked device record; and transmitting by the mobile application the tracked device record associated with the output device corresponding to a missing device on the missing devices list to the device management server, upon demand of, or by pushing to, the device management server.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising: each time the mobile application connects to the device management server, (i) pushing by the mobile application tracked device records, if any, stored in the persistent local storage of the host terminal, to the device management server, and (ii) checking by the mobile application the device management server for updates to the missing devices list.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising: transmitting by the device management server, when the device management server receives the tracked device record of the output device corresponding to a missing device on the missing devices list, an immediate notification to an administrator to alert the administrator of the approximated location of the output device corresponding to a missing device on the missing devices list.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising: transmitting by the device management server, based on a regular notification schedule or in response to request from a client terminal, a summary of detected missing devices, including data consolidated from the mobile application of multiple host terminals.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising: each time the mobile application connects to the device management server, (i) pushing by the device management server an updated missing devices list to the mobile application, and obtaining by the device management server from the mobile application tracked device records, if any, stored in the persistent local storage of the host terminal hosting the mobile application.